MLB Player News

It’s merely a procedural move as Lowe was assured a spot on Cincinnati’s season-opening roster over the weekend when JJ Bleday and Rece Hinds were jettisoned to the minors. The 30-year-old first baseman will serve in a bench role for the Reds but his odds of syphoning at-bats away from Sal Stewart and Spencer Steer on a consistent basis are extremely low.

Royce Lewis is headed to the minors, but we will not be getting top prospect Kaelen Culpepper up in Minnesota. Instead, it will be the veteran Arcia. The 31-year-old was hitting .318/.376/.556 in 39 games at Triple-A with eight home runs, 27 RBI, and three steals. That came with a 42.5 percent hard-hit rate and a solid 19 percent strikeout rate. He has played primarily second base and shortstop in the minors this season, but has four starts at third base as well. The Twins could use him to spell Luke Keaschall and Brooks Lee when they get a day off, and he could start at third base against lefties.

Just a week after optioning Matt Wallner to the minors, the Twins will do the same with Lewis. The 26-year-old is hitting .163/.261/.279 in 119 plate appearances with three home runs, 13 RBI, and three steals. That also comes with a 31 percent strikeout rate. Lewis has plenty of promise, but the 26-year-old has failed to produce consistently or stay healthy at the MLB level. Tristan Gray started at third base on Monday and could get a chance to fill that role regularly.

Mederos was acquired from the Angels this offseason for international signing bonus pool money. The 24-year-old has pitched to a 4.81 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, and 21/13 K/BB ratio in 24 1/3 innings across nine appearances (four starts). He should provide some length out of the bullpen for the Braves.

Dodd has been on the injured list since April 23rd with spine inflammation, so it’s good news that he wasn’t sidelined for longer. The 28-year-old has allowed one run on three hits in four innings for Atlanta this season.

After a solid MLB debut, it’s been downhill for Ritchie, who now has a 4.91 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, and 21/16 K/BB ratio in 25 2/3 MLB innings. Many people had added him in hopes of a solid two-start week this week, but he will only get one start. It seems that it will be Martin Perez, who will start on Sunday and get a sneaky good two-start week.

Bummer was in the final year of his $9.5 million contract, so the Braves will eat about $6 million by cutting him. The left-hander dealt with a shoulder injury last year and then posted a 7.63 ERA over 15 1/3 innings this season. His velocity is down about three mpr from where he was in 2024, prior to the shoulder injury. Someone may give him a minor-league offer in hopes of getting his velocity back up.

Within one week, the Braves have lost Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy to injuries and Jonah Heim to waivers. That’s a drastic loss of catching depth. For the next month or so, it seems like Sandy Leon will be the starting catcher, with Tromp also mixing in a couple of times a week. That’s a big blow to both the offense and the pitching staff in Atlanta

Well, this is a bummer. Baldwin has been one of the best catchers in baseball this season, slashing .303/.389/.543 with 13 home runs, 38 RBI, and one steal in 48 games. He ranks first among catchers in home runs, first in runs scored, second in RBIs, and second in wRC+. He needs to be held in all league types, even if you don’t have an IL spot. Hopefully, he can return some time in June.

Morabito will be the third rookie outfielder on the Mets’ roster, joining A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge. The 23-year-old Morabito is the 11th-ranked prospect in the Mets’ system. He can play all three outfield positions, and was slashing .253/.364/.390 in 41 games at Triple-A with four home runs and 14 steals. He also looked good in the Arizona Fall League after last season, posting a .914 OPS in 80 plate appearances. Unlike Ewing and Benge, Morabito is unlikely to step into a big role. He will most likely start against some left-handed pitchers and can also be used as a defensive replacement in the outfield.

Muncy has been sidelined since April 28th with a fractured finger. He has just begun his swing progressions, so he will likely need to hit off of a tee, do front toss, and then work up to hitting off a machine and live pitching. He’s still likely a couple of weeks away from getting into rehab games.